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What A Race!

By Nelida Gonzalez Cutler

A month ago, John McCain began comparing himself to a Star Wars hero. "I'm Luke Skywalker trying to get out of the Death Star," said the Arizona Senator. His goal is not to crush an evil Empire. He simply wants to win the Republican Party's nomination for President. To get it, McCain must overtake the better organized, better funded Texas Governor George W. Bush.

Like Luke, McCain is surprising his foes. After big wins in primary elections in Michigan and Arizona last Tuesday, McCain is starting to look as if the Force is with him. "This is a crusade," he told supporters. "Get with it, and you will enjoy the ride!"

So far, the ride has been bumpy. On February 19, Bush defeated McCain in South Carolina's primary election. Many people predicted that McCain would soon be out of the race.

But McCain surprised them. Just three days later, he came back strong in Michigan and Arizona. In Michigan, McCain received 50% of the vote to Bush's 43%. In his home state of Arizona, McCain commanded a whopping 60% of the vote.

Costly Battles
Bush supporters were stunned by the defeat. They were quick to point out that McCain won in Michigan because he drew support from outside the Republican Party. "I won the Republican vote in Michigan," Bush noted.

Now both candidates are focused on the critical races in March. On March 7, known as Super Tuesday, 12 states will hold primaries, including giant California. By the end of the month, 70% of the delegates to the Republican Convention will have been selected. Either McCain or Bush will most likely emerge as the party's candidate.

But the battle for hearts and votes has been bitter and costly. In South Carolina, Michigan and Arizona, voters were swamped with TV and radio ads and thousands of telephone calls. Each candidate was sharply critical of the other. Although Bush raised a record $70 million for his campaign, he has only about $10 million left-not much more than McCain. Both need to raise more money to win.

Time Out
As the next phase of the race draws near, Bush and McCain got a little advice from an old campaigner. Republican Bob Dole ran for President four years ago and lost. "When I won the nomination," said Dole, "I was battered, bruised and broke." He cautioned Bush and McCain to stop attacking each other. "Call a time out," said Dole, "for your sake, the party's sake and, most importantly, the country's sake."

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